


Levi's Wedding

by VictoriannWings



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Afterlife, Death, Grief, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Weddings, all my friends are dead, eruri - Freeform, happiness, snk 84
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-15
Updated: 2016-08-15
Packaged: 2018-08-09 00:07:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7778935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VictoriannWings/pseuds/VictoriannWings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Too long after the events of Ch. 84, Levi dies. The first to greet him is Kuchel, and she has someone to show him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Levi's Wedding

When he was young, Levi's birthday meant that instead of spending every freezing day in the cold, crisp air until his ears turned red, he could stay snuggled down in his warm, threadbare blankets. Gray light filtered down through a few holes in certain areas in the Underground, and frost hung off the dirty roofs, large icicles that dripped and made the streets muddy. But on his birthday, none of that mattered. All that mattered were those few extra moments of warmth, where he didn't have to leave his little blanket cocoon.

That feeling of safety and warmth flowed through him as he lay on something much softer than his bed. He didn't remember falling asleep--hadn't he just returned to the walls? He'd been fighting titans, and ridden his horse into town. And now he was waking up in a bed that didn't feel familiar, but at the same time, reminded him of somewhere he'd been before.

Slowly, Levi opened his eyes. The room was entirely white, but lit with a soft glow, calming, subtle. He sat up slowly; he wasn't in his uniform anymore, but rather wore a soft white button-up shirt, his cravat, and loose-fitting black slacks. 

And before him stood a woman, young and beautiful and wise, the barest hint of future wrinkles punctuating her features in laugh lines, a nose much like his own. "Hello, Levi," she smiled at him, opened her arms wide. 

Levi scrambled up, and fell into his mother's arms. It occurred to him with a pang that this was the first time his mother had seen him as an adult. And if he thought the mystery bed reminded him of safety, warmth, and his childhood, Kuchel's arms around him now, how she barely reached his height, the softness of her hair, the faint lavender scent of her perfume--it all overflowed and overwhelmed his heart, and he began to cry, the gentlest of sobs into her shoulder. She didn't say anything, but held him until his body stopped shaking, until he could stand on his own again, his hands on her shoulders, gray eyes matching silver. 

"I missed you, Mama," he whispered. 

Kuchel nodded, still smiling, but a sadness reflected in her eyes. "I know, my love. I missed you too." She pressed a kiss to his forehead, and his heart choked, but he swallowed and kept down anymore sobs. "Come, little one. There are people waiting for you." She held out her hand, and Levi took it, suddenly feeling very small. 

With deliberate steps she led him out of the room and into a long, white hallway. Levi's bare feet padded on cloudlike carpet which squished between his toes. 

The first person Levi saw in the hall was Moblit; Levi hugged him closely and thanked him for everything he had done, for him, for the Corps, for Hange. Through the years Levi had developed a mutual respect for the man and everything that he had accomplished. Taking care of Hange was no easy feat. 

And then there was Mike, all seven feet of him, tall and hair gleaming in the whiteness of the room, big arms and warm hugs. Levi cried into the tall man's chest, a weird sense of relief spreading to his fingertips, making every part of him shake with a joy that he couldn't fully explain. Mike smirked at him and said simply, "You still smell like lemons and bleach."

Levi laughed through his tears, his first real laugh in a while, and wiped his cheek. 

Mike ruffled Levi's hair, then pushed him forward. "Don't be late, okay?"

Levi glanced back over his shoulder. "Late for what?" But Kuchel was already leading him forward again.

And there was Eld and Gunther. Bright and alive and saluting him, but Levi welcomed them with open arms. After them came Oluo and Petra, and he fell in a sea of their arms, familiar smells, sensations he never thought he would feel again. The moment he released them all, Petra kissed his cheek, right on his tears, and he choked out, "No, Petra, that's gross, you'll get my tears in your mouth."

She smiled, eyes twinkling. "It's okay, Captain. You don't have to cry anymore. We're all here." 

And he let go of their arms when Kuchel reached for him again, drawn by his own eyes mirrored on her face--their lives had been so different but no matter how hard she had worked for her son, he had still led a life of pain, and now she could show him that he was walking through a hallway of love, of peace, of rest.

And then--there they were. Levi stopped dead in his tracks; he couldn't feel his own heartbeat, his entire body went numb. His eyes stung, and he clapped a hand over his mouth. 

"Come on, it's okay," Kuchel urged, waving him forward.

And then on either side of him he was being hugged, held, and his body wracked with sobs, until he couldn't breathe or feel or anything. Isabel's pigtails were going to get messed up if she kept hugging him like this, he thought. And he couldn't believe Farlan was attacking him like this, squeezing him so tight he was sure all of his tears would be wrung out of his face. They stood like that in one heaping mess of a family, finally whole, finally together. Levi couldn't stop shaking, stop crying, weeping like a fucking child--he hadn't realised how much he'd missed them until he finally saw them again. 

"I love you," he whispered, and his eyes poured over again. 

Isabel was in a long, flowing cream dress, her shoulders bare, her red hair shining, drawn in two long pigtails with pink ribbons tied in a bow on each one. Flowers adorned her head in a crown, and along her waist, in soft colours. Her face was young, smooth, round, happy. Farlan wore a white shirt with a black vest, hair combed and neat. Levi was stunned by their beauty, incredible guardians who'd watched over him all these years. He carried them in his heart everywhere he'd gone. 

Isabel kissed both of his cheeks, arms wrapped around his waist, then she saluted him and flashed a hand sign the two of them had come up with on a day when Levi was too tired to clean and she was bored and they were lying on the floor dreaming of days above ground. "Good to see you, brother," she beamed, then nuzzled close to him, holding him for a few more moments. 

When she released him, Farlan drew the smaller man to his chest and kissed Levi's forehead. Levi began to cry again, soft tears leaking out of his eyes that didn't know how to hold any of this in--everything he had done in his life, he'd wondered if Farlan would have approved, the only person who was able to give him a conscience. And sometimes when he made decisions, he asked himself, what would Farlan do? 

And now, with Farlan's comforting arms around him, he let himself go, he let every stress he'd ever held in tense shoulders or shaking hands or anger or anything, he released it all, in sobbing breath after shuddering breath. 

"It's okay," Farlan said, his voice deep and level, reassuring. Slowly, Levi quieted, until his friend released him and the three siblings stood, hands together. 

"Are you ready?" Isabel asked, her voice like a bird chirping. 

Levi shrugged, so then Farlan pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and let Levi wipe his face with it. "Once you're ready, we'll take you there, okay?"  


Taking a deep breath, Levi nodded, and drew himself up to his full height, which was barely taller than Isabel. Kuchel returned his nod. "I'll wait for you. Go ahead," she encouraged, and gave Levi a wink.

Before them, the hall ended in a corner. Isabel let go of Levi and began to lead them forward, but Levi cried out, "Wait! I'm not ready. I can't do it."

Farlan held out his arm, and Levi wrapped his fingers around his bicep, unsure, unable to feel anything but small. "I can't do it," he repeated, small eyes turned up at the blond man.

Farlan gave him another of his reassuring smiles that had always reminded him of Kuchel, or maybe the father he never had. "It's okay, Levi. He's waiting for you." 

Swallowing, he gave another nod. His whole body had been cried out, turned over, relief and loss and grief and love pouring out of him. But Farlan's eyes urged him forward, and they began to walk. Isabel twirled in front of them, her dress swirling around her, a whirlwind of beauty and flowers and all of the girlishness of his younger sister that he'd missed. 

They turned the corner, and a blue carpet covered in white lily petals and faerie lights lay out before them. Isabel curtsied and stepped aside for Levi to walk onto the carpet, and Farlan let go of him. Levi looked back at them with longing, but urging smiles returned his expression. So he stepped onto the carpet and walked to the end.

At the end of the carpet, an altar stood before him, with an archway decorated in a thousand white roses and lilies. The smell amazed him. But more than anything, the tall, handsome golden-haired man dressed in a full black suit, a tiny pink rose tucked in his pocket, amazed him. His breath caught; joy rose in his heart and he forced himself to breathe. 

Erwin took both of Levi's hands reverently, the biggest smile he had ever seen the Commander wear spread across his face. His blue eyes shown brighter than a lighthouse, brighter than the sun. But Levi could look into them, and he never wanted to look away.

A priest stood behind them, and handed each of them golden rings. Levi's looked so tiny in Erwin's giant hand, but he slipped it onto Levi's finger with no difficulty. Levi returned the gesture. He thought two of his own fingers could probably fit inside Erwin's giant ring. 

No words needed to be said. They had made their vows long ago, before they'd ever kissed, before they'd ever fought battles and wars together. Before that fateful day on the roof. But never in a million years had Levi imagined it would be like this.


End file.
